County set to buy site for new Towson fire station

Rendering of the new Towson fire station. County officials on Wednesday announced plans to buy property off Susquehanna Avenue in Towson for the new station.

Rendering of the new Towson fire station. County officials on Wednesday announced plans to buy property off Susquehanna Avenue in Towson for the new station. (Rendering courtesy Baltimore County Government)

Baltimore County officials on Wednesday announced plans to buy a two-story office building south of Susquehanna Avenue in Towson as the site for a new Towson fire station.

The county previously had allocated $5 million in bond loans to construct the new fire station at Towsontown Boulevard and Bosley Avenue. Those funds will now be appropriated at the new location, officials said in a news release. A spokeswoman said the cost of the property itself is $832,520.

The County Council is expected to vote on the property purchase at its April 7 meeting.

Officials said acquisition of the property, officially at 204 Courtland Avenue, would allow for design of a station with landscaping and layout features that would seek to address residents' concerns.

Last year the county announced plans to sell the site of the current Towson fire station, at York Road and Bosley Avenue, and a competitive bidding process fielded a proposal for a new Royal Farms gas station and convenience there. Officials had said they wanted to replace the old station, built in 1958, because it did not have suitable sleeping quarters and lacked drive-through bays.

"The new location has excellent access and egress for our first responders, and it allows us to respond to the community's desire to minimize the impact of the station on local neighborhoods," said Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz in the release.